Dawg Pound Daily
FanSided

Cleveland Browns pick named biggest AFC North surprise in 2021 NFL Draft

By Randy Gurzi

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JANUARY 01: Wide receiver Slade Bolden #18 of the Alabama Crimson Tide is tackled by linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah #6 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the fourth quarter of the 2021 College Football Playoff Semifinal Game at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Capital One at AT&T Stadium on January 01, 2021 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JANUARY 01: Wide receiver Slade Bolden #18 of the Alabama Crimson Tide is tackled by linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah #6 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the fourth quarter of the 2021 College Football Playoff Semifinal Game at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Capital One at AT&T Stadium on January 01, 2021 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Dan Parr of NFL.com gave the Cleveland Browns a great grade for their work in the 2021 NFL Draft and said they had the most surprising selection as well

There’s no shortage of NFL writers praising the Cleveland Browns for their work in the 2021 NFL Draft and it’s easy to see why. They made the most of every selection while filling all their major holes.

General manager Andrew Berry landed Northwestern cornerback Greg Newsome II in the first round which filled their biggest need. He also got them some speed on offense which was in short supply as well when he took Auburn wide receiver Anthony Schwartz.

However, Berry also had a nice surprise for Browns nation when he moved up in the second round for Notre Dame linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah — who he secured at No. 52. And according to Dan Parr from NFL.com, that move was actually the biggest surprise in the AFC North.

"“Owusu-Koramoah’s fall was one of the draft’s biggest stunners. NFL.com draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah’s No. 15 overall prospect was still available late in the second round in part due to a heart issue that wasn’t reported until draft weekend. For his part, JOK says he’s never really had any heart issues.” — Parr, NFL.com"

The heart issue is said to be of no concern to Berry and the Browns and while it likely added to JOK slipping, there could be another issue. Listed at 221-pounds, he’s undersized for a linebacker and doesn’t really play safety. He’s a hybrid player that some teams might not understand how to utilize, but he’s a perfect fit in the Cleveland 4-2-5 scheme.

Still, it was a bit of a shock to see him slide to 52 and Browns fans were thrilled to have picked up a player that no one expected them to once they elected to go with Newsome at 26.

In addition to landing the biggest surprise pick, the Browns were also given a superb grade overall by Parr. For their entire class, Parr gave Cleveland an A-, saying they did well in front of their home crowd.

If there was one area where he wasn’t satisfied, it was their decision not to get a defensive end. However, he does point out that Cleveland has Myles Garrett, Jadeveon Clowney, and Takk McKinley so it’s not a huge need at all in 2021. However, McKinley and Clowney are both free agents in 2022, so Parr is among those who thought a developmental player would have been nice.

The good news is, even with that small ding, he placed them ahead of all other teams in the division — with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, and Cincinnati Bengals all receiving a grade of B.

Next. Browns absolutely crushing it in post-draft Power Rankings. dark

Cleveland has been doing great work this offseason and the hopes are high for them in 2021. Landing a surprise player such as JOK only increases their chances of meeting those expectations this season.

Home/Browns Draft